How To Install A Ceiling Fan In A Light Fixture

Ceiling fans are swish and sophisticated, and what'south more, they're a great manner to go on your home comfy year-round — cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Don't have a ceiling fan, but want i? Good news — it's pretty piece of cake to swap out a light fixture for a ceiling fan yourself.

When you supervene upon a light fixture with a ceiling fan, the wiring you'll need is already in identify. All you have to do is remove the old low-cal fixture and claw up the new fan and mount it to a fan-rated electric box. Information technology's a job that takes a couple of hours, and you might need someone to help you with lifting and holding the fan in place while you make the connections, simply it's definitely achievable for most homeowners, even those with novice DIY skills. Here's how.

Cull the Right Size Fan

Before y'all can supercede your light fixture with a ceiling fan, you need to make certain you're choosing the right size fan. Ceiling fans come in sizes ranging from 29 inches for the smallest rooms, similar bathrooms, to threescore inches or more than for the largest, like keen rooms. Nigh hardware stores sell indoor ceiling fans in a variety of sizes.

Cutting Power to the Circuit and Remove the Erstwhile Light Fixture

In one case you're set to install your fan, go to the breaker box and cutting ability to the excursion servicing the fixture you desire to replace. If you can't effigy out what circuit it is, apply the process of elimination or, declining that, cut ability to the whole house. Use a circuit tester to make sure the power is really cut to your circuit before you commencement working on the wiring.

Remove the old light fixture by undoing the mounting nut and any other mounting hardware that holds it in identify. Pull the fixture down gently and disconnect the wires in the fixture from the ones that feed out of your ceiling. Set the old light fixture aside.

Install a Brace and Fan-rated Electrical Box

A ceiling fan can counterbalance 50 pounds or more, so it needs a sturdy mounting brace in the ceiling and a fan-rated electric box. The box your calorie-free fixture was fastened to just won't cut it.

If you can admission your fixture from above, like from the attic, you should go upward at that place and brand sure at that place's a sturdy mounting caryatid between the ceiling joists to hang your fan box from. You tin can make one yourself with a length of 2×4 lumber and three-inch deck screws, with metal 50-brackets on the end for extra support, if necessary. If you don't accept admission to the joists from above, you can install an expanding metal brace from below, through the hole in your ceiling.

Expanding metal brackets sometimes come with fan ceiling boxes attached, only sometimes you have to attach it yourself. If you utilize a 2×4, you'll have to adhere your fan ceiling box to that. Yous tin also screw a pancake electrical box direct to the lesser of a ceiling joist, if the joist is positioned correctly over the hole in your ceiling.

Install the Fan Mounting Bracket

Your new ceiling fan should come with a mounting subclass, only if it doesn't, buy a fan mounting kit separately. The mounting bracket attaches to the fan-rated electrical box. The mounting bracket should take a receptacle to accept an extension rod or the ball mount on your fan motor. If you're using an extension rod, record the wiring together loosely at the end and pull it through the extension rod. Then you tin attach the rod to the bracket and wire up the fan motor.

Claw Upward the Motor Wiring

The fan motor may crave some assembly before you connect information technology to the business firm wiring; bank check your manufacturer's instructions. Connect wires by twisting them together and adding a wire connector. Connect black wires to black wires, white wires to white wires, and dark-green or blank wires to green or bare wires. The green or bare wires are your grounding wires, and both the house ground wire and the fan ground wire should be connected to the metal of the electric box after being connected to each other. At that place may be additional wiring in your fan for light fixtures or remote controls — check your manufacturer's instructions for further directions on how to hook upwardly these wires.

Install the Fan Blades

Install the fan canopy, and and so attach the fan blades to the fan using the bract mounting brackets. Tighten the screws as much as yous can — loose fan blades are bad news.

Install the Light Fixture and Wall Command Switch

Most ceiling fans include light fixtures, so if yours does, assemble the fixture housing and fasten it to the fan motor. Connect the light fixture wiring and install any glass domes or calorie-free shades.

Traditionally, ceiling fans accept been controlled by a light switch that allows you to turn it on and off — you take to go to the fan housing itself to reverse the fan'southward direction or change its speed. If your fan comes with a fancy wall control or remote, make sure yous check the switch wiring with a excursion tester to ensure that power to the switch is off before you supercede it.

Replacing your light fixture with a ceiling fan is an easy way to improve the look of a room and add to its comfort, besides — and information technology'south not difficult. With the wiring already in place, all you lot accept to do is follow the manufacturer's instructions for your new fan, and soon you'll be enjoying a cooling breeze.

[mashshare]

Source: https://designbump.com/yes-you-can-replace-a-light-fixture-with-a-ceiling-fan/

Posted by: owenhiout1981.blogspot.com

Share this post